Excavations have proved that Ur was leading among the old Sumeria cities
of Mesopotamia. Its earliest dwellings go back some six-thousand years,
and after it had enjoyed prominence in the dawn of dynasties, 4800 - 4300
years ago, it assumed a leading position during the Third Dynasty of Ur,
over 4000 years ago.
In later times, although political leadership shifted
to other Babylonian and Assyrian centers, it maintained its importance and
kings continued to lavish their care on its temples and institutions.
The landmarks of the city lie within a large area the inhabited section
of which measured 1200 x 700 meters. It was encircled by a mud-brick wall,
almost elliptical in shape.
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The most important structure was the holy pyramid (Ziggurat), which contained
all the najor temples together with the magnificent 3-level Ziggurat built
by Ur-Nammu, founder of the Thrid Dynasty of Ur (2124 - 2107 B.C.). The
lower level measures 62.5 x 43 meters, the thrid, 20 x 11 meters. The whole
structure was 17.25 meters high.
The favourit god of Ur was SIN, or
NANNAR, the moon-god, His ground temple was built near the Ziggurat.
Another prominent building was the palace of king Shulgi, son of Ur-Nammu,
sitauted in the southern corner of the sacred area. Of a square plan 55
x 55 meters, it used to be called the Mountain House.
To the east of
the temple area is a huge pit which was a vast cemetery dating back to the
thrid dawn of dynasties, 4500 years ago. It contained about two-thousand
graves which have yielded a veritable treasure of rare objects that have
enriched the display halls of many museums, such as the Iraqi Museum, The
Nasiriya Museum, The British Museum, Pennsylania Museum, etc.
These objects range from musical instruments (e.g.the "lyre of Ur")
to gold and silver ornaments and precious jewellery. Next to it is the cemetery
of the Kings and Princes of the Thrid Dynasty of Ur.
Its special feature
is its sloping roofs. Not far away one can roam at leisure in a once-inhabited
quarter that dates back to the old Babylonian era.
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Uruk (Warka):
One of the most famous Sumerian citites of ancient Iraq. It was continuously
inhabited from about 4000 B.C. up to the 5th century A.D. Because of the
part it played in Iraqi culture for such a long time, one may want to spend
some time among its ruins.
Uruk lies about 30 kms to the east of Samawa
(see Iraq map), and in the past it used to be on the river Euphrates before
it changed its course so much that it is nearly 12 kms away. It was an important
city on two scores: religion and science, which is confirmed by the thousands
of clay tablets dug in it which go back to the beginnings of writing - about
5000 years ago - in the invention of which Uruk played a major role. It
was also the centre of the worship of the goddess Inanna, or Ishtar, which
is symbolized by the star Venus. Her worship went to the Greeks and Romans
under the name of Aphrodite or Venus, who had exactly the same attributes
as Ishtar.
Uruk was renowned for its walls which cuneiform texts say
were first built 4700 years ago by the Sumerian King Gilgamesh, (see
Relevent links) hero of the epic named after him. The city
limits and traces of its round walls are visible today. The latter are about
9.5 kms long. Among major remains in the ziggurat of Inanna - Ishtar which
rises to a height of 16 meters on a square base measuring 60x60 meters.
It dates back to the time of Ur - Nammu, 4000 years ago. In its neighbourhood
are the ruins of a temple which used for mural ornamentation thousands of
coloured clay cones. Another temple in ruins is the one devoted to Anu,
god of the sky, built with mud brick some 5000 years ago. Nearby is another
temple devoted to Anu and his wife Anu - Antim, but it is a comparatively
recent structure: it was built in Seleucid times, about 2.200 years ago.
An even more recent structure is the brick temple whose facade is ornamented
with arches and columns, together with decorative brickwork of animals and
geometrical patterns. It was built around A.D. 110.
Stone bowel-Ur |
Golden diadem. |
Votive vase. |
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